Melbourne Victory cannot let Patrick Kisnorbo's shock departure ruin their best shot at claiming A-League Men silverware in years, says club great Archie Thompson.
Kisnorbo blindsided Victory when he walked out on the club this week, days out from a derby against Melbourne City, to take up an overseas opportunity - just seven games into the season.
Before that, he took Victory to the Australia Cup final and had them sitting third (five wins, one draw, one loss).
Thompson is adamant it's a run of form that ex-assistant coach and now interim boss Arthur Diles can and must maintain.
Victory fell desperately short in the 2023-24 grand final.
The team last won a premiership when Thompson was playing under Kevin Muscat in 2014-15, and their most recent championship in 2017-18.
"We've still got a big core of fans and we're still getting probably some of the highest numbers in attendances, but when you start winning things, that's only going to increase more," Thompson told AAP.
"That's why the whole time that I was there, it was the hottest ticket and the best atmosphere.
"If this team starts to do well, and I feel the way that they're playing, and the squad depth they have, anything but a minor premiership and the grand final would be a disappointment.
"It seems like the moon and the stars are aligning for something special this year, and it'd be a big loss if we don't get anything."
Managing director Caroline Carnegie knows on-field success is crucial to winning back a supporter base disillusioned by the 2022 pitch invasion and a lack of trophies bar that year's Australia Cup triumph.
"We want success in football and we are ready for our next premiership, championship, the whole lot," Carnegie told AAP.
Thompson believes Victory are wise to "stick with what they have" in Diles - who he hopes can bring Bruno Fornaroli firmly back into the fold.
"The way they're playing, they're probably the form team," he said.
"Why change something that isn't broken?"
A stabilising derby win over Melbourne City at AAMI Park on Saturday is crucial.
"We don't want to be losing this and then all of a sudden the fans start to go, 'oh, wow, this season is going to fall apart'," Thompson said.
"I know how exciting it is to win a game leading into Christmas and what it is for the fans. It's amazing.
"It's so important to get a result."
Traditionally one of the league's richest clubs, Victory have taken big financial losses in recent years.
Carnegie stressed the impact of the pitch invasion "cannot be underestimated", given the members and sponsors who turned their back on Victory.
"From a financial perspective, we're not where we'd like to be," Carnegie told AAP.
Victory are working to turn that around but cost-cutting is inevitable.
That said, football director John Didulica told AAP there was "no basis" for a January fire sale of players.
Thompson hopes Victory's deep squad sticks together - and there is little movement in or out, bar Mitch Langerak's January return.
"I wouldn't be trying to try to offload everyone," Thompson said.
"I'd be saying to the players, and the players would know this, but the way that they're playing - and if they're looking around at the teams in the league - this is a really, really good opportunity to win the league and win a grand final.
"What Popa (Tony Popovic) has built, and maybe what PK's kind of sprinkled on while he's been there, this is a time to really take advantage of it.
"The balance just seems perfect all over the park."
